Apple vs. Microsoft: Two Opposite Approaches to Building an OS

Microsoft and Apple are the developers of three of the most popular operating systems in the world (Windows, iOS & Mac OS X), yet their approaches to building the infrastructure that powers laptops, tablets and phones couldn’t be more divergent.

Microsoft recently published a blog post that addressed specific issues that Windows 8 developer preview users had with the start screen.

The Windows 8 team specifically tackles the complaint that the new Windows 8 start screen, which uses the app-style metro interface, isn’t effective at organizing apps (it was originally organized alphabetically) and doesn’t display enough apps on one screen (it originally displayed about 20 apps). Microsoft dives deep into the UX issues of start menus, even calculating how many apps Windows 8 can theoretically fit onto one display at different monitor resolutions.

In the end though, Microsoft concluded that its users were right about the Windows 8 start menu and made two important changes to it as a result. First, it now supports folder-style organization of apps. Secondly, Microsoft is making the start screen denser, meaning that more apps will be visible on a single screen.

The Apple Approach to OS Development

Microsoft’s approach lies in stark contrast to Apple‘s approach to OS development. The notoriously secretive company doesn’t like unveiling products until they are polished. It doesn’t publish detailed stats about how people are using its products. And it rarely makes dramatic changes based on user feedback.

It’s an approach that has worked just fine for Apple (more than fine, in fact). Steve Jobs and his team have been able to develop products and features that users wanted long before users they even knew they wanted them.

“It’s really hard to design products by focus groups,” Steve Jobs told BusinessWeek in 1998. “A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

This is why you won’t find an Apple blog that details user behavior in iOS. This is why Apple only gives developers a few months to play with new versions of Mac OS X before they get released to the public, while Microsoft will release a new version of Windows to developers more than a year before its official debut.

Both companies are wildly successful with their operating systems. Windows is still the world’s most popular OS, while Apple keeps selling iPhone and iPads by the millions. But we’re about to see what happens when these two opposing philosophies to development butt heads. Microsoft is preparing for war against the iPad, and Windows 8 is its weapon of choice.

Will Microsoft’s philosophy to development trump Apple’s approach? We don’t know the answer to that question yet, but we do know that the fireworks are just getting started.

Check out the galleries below if you want to do a side-by-side comparison of Apple and Microsoft’s approaches to building an OS. Let us know which philosophy you prefer in the comments.

Gallery: Windows 8

Windows 8 Metro Home Screen

This is the Metro interface in Windows 8

Internet Explorer 10 in Windows 8

This is the Metro interface for IE10. Swiping from bottom to top or top to bottom will open up the URL bar and the tab bar.

Charm Bar

IE10 sports a "Charm Bar" on the right side of the screen, where users can share content, search for content, return to the Start menu, and more.

Windows 8 Desktop Interface

The Windows 8 desktop will be familiar to any Windows user. I installed Firefox in this instance of Windows 8.

Windows Store

The Windows Store for apps isn't working quite yet...

Tweet@Rama

Microsoft's Metro Twitter app, Tweet@Rama, is very simple to use.

Windows 8 Side View

The tablet includes a USB port, an SD card slot, a mini HDMI port and more.

Windows 8 Tablet: The Back

One thing we don't like about this Windows 8 tablet is the fact that it has a fan. Then again, this device is designed to be more "robust" than an iPad. It's part of Microsoft's attempt not to compromise with Windows.

Windows 8 Tablet With Dock

The dock includes an ethernet port, a USB port, an HDMI port and a headphone jack.

Windows 8, Dock & Keyboard

Turn your Windows 8 tablet into a fully-functional PC by bringing out the keyboard and mouse.

Using the Stylus

The Samsung tablet comes with a stylus for interacting with the touchscreen. It's rather responsive and useful for applications like this drawing app.

Windows 8 Start Screen

When you boot the Windows 8 tablet from sleep, this is the screen that greets you.

Windows 8 Login

Swipe up or down and the login screen will appear.

Gallery: iOS 5

New Home Screen With Notification

Notifications are a big deal in iOS 5. Taking some cues from Android, iOS has finally unified the notification system and made it less clumsy and intrusive.

Message now appear at the top of the screen (though you can choose to allow them to display in the middle) while you are using the phone and they don't interrupt what you are already doing.

Lock Screen Notifications

On the lock screen, notifications are displayed in the middle of the screen. These messages can build up over time, for easy access to various message.

Notification Bar

The notification bar is accessible by pulling down the top of the phone. By default, your weather widget and stock ticker populate the space, along with any recent notifications.

The weather and stock ticker take information from those built-in apps on the phone. You can choose to turn this feature on or off. Weather is especially nice for finding out current conditions and getting a 5-day forecast.

Notification Bar Landscape

In landscape mode, notifications work just as they do in portrait. You can choose what apps are allowed to use the notification area on an app by app basis in Settings.

Customize Notifications

You can choose how to display notifications within each app's section in Settings under Notifications.

You can also choose how many recent items to display. As you can see, if you get a text message while taking a screenshot or browsing settings, it now alerts you at the top of the screen.

Facebook Notifications

Facebook isn't built-into iOS 5 but the new app has lots of options for customizing how you are notified about events, messages or follows.

Standard Notifications Screen

A full notifications screen.

Weather Options

The Weather and Stock widgets can be turned on and off.

iMessage Settings

You can choose to associate an AppleID email address with iMessage. If you want to use a different email but don't want to create a new AppleID, you can add the email at Apple.com.

iMessage Caller ID Settings

You can now set your email or your cell phone number as the Caller ID settings within iMessage.

iMessage Colors

The "send" button in iMessage is blue. It's now green when sending a regular SMS.

SMS Message Colors

The "send" button in iMessage is blue. It's now green when sending a regular SMS.

iMessage Photo Message

Attaching a photo to iMessage works just like it does in the SMS app. You can also directly send a photo to another person from the Photo app or after taking a picture with the camera.

Twitter Settings

Twitter now has its own place in the Settings screen. From here, you can install the app and update your account information.

Twitter Configuration

Twitter can now better integrate itself with your Address Book. Twitter can scan the name, email addresses and phone numbers you have on file and compare them with what users have used with Twitter.

If it finds a match, avatar photos and Twitter handles are updated within the Address Book.

Twitter Configuration

You can add multiple Twitter accounts to your device and specify what account is default. You can also adjust notifications on an account-by-account basis.

Send a Tweet

You can send tweets from the main application or from Safari, Photos, Maps and YouTube.

Twitter Identifier

Messages sent from iOS 5 say "Safari on iOS" in the identifier.

Camera Button on Lock Screen

Double tapping on the home screen button will launch display both the music player and the new camera button.

Tap on the camera button to take a photo without unlocking your phone.

Photos

The Photos app might look the same but it has some great new editing tools.

Tapping on "Edit" now brings up a new wave of options that include Auto-Enhance, Red Eye, Crop and Rotate.

Auto-Enhance

Auto-Enhance is supposed to auto-adjust a photo for better lighting and brightness. In our tests, the results were minimal to non-existent.

Crop Photo

Cropping a photo is as simple as moving your fingers around the area you want to focus in on.

You can also constrain your crop to a certain size or orientation.

Crop Photo

Cropping a photo is as simple as moving your fingers around the area you want to focus in on.

You can also constrain your crop to a certain size or orientation.

Save Edit

After making adjustments, your saved photo is available in your Camera Roll. The changes are NOT destructive, meaning you can go back later and change or remove a crop or adjustment.

Image Rotation

Image rotation is a tap. Literally.

Tweet or Message Photos

You can now send a photo to Twitter or to iMessage

iMessage Photo

iMessage Photo

Tweet Photo

You can add your location to a photo. Twitter will also search your contact list for someone's Twitter username.

Tweet Photo

You can add your location to a photo. Twitter will also search your contact list for someone's Twitter username.

Photo Locations

Reminders

Reminders is a new core iOS app. It makes creating to-do lists and reminders a snap. Like Notes and Calendar entries, it can be synced with iCloud/

Reminders

Completed items in Reminders.

Reminders

I cannot complete anything.

Reminders

Tap an item to check it off as "complete"

Reminders

I CAN complete things!

Reminders

View reminders by date. You can also set a due date and a location update to a reminder.

Reminders

Completions by date.

Safari

Safari for iOS 5 got a big overhaul on the backend. It looks the same for users, however.

Safari Reader Button

The nifty Readability-esque feature from Safari 5 for Mac and Windows is now in Mobile Safari.

Safari Reader Mode

The Reader mode strips away the default styling and makes reading articles much more palatable and distraction free.

Reading List

We won't call the Reading List an Instapaper-killer, but it is a similar idea.

You can add articles to a running "Reading List" that is accessible across devices. You can even sync your ist with Safari for Mac or Windows using iCloud.